Press release:

The Pembroke Central School District added a team to its athletic lineup this school year in Unified Bowling. Special Olympics Unified Sports joins people with and without disabilities to play and compete on the same team to bolster friendship, understanding, inclusion, and tolerance in schools.

Through Unified Sports, regardless of any disability, all athletes matter and are provided opportunities to proudly wear their school uniform while having a chance to shine athletically.   

Pembroke was ready to field its first-ever Unified Basketball team last spring, but the pandemic and subsequent nationwide quarantine waylaid those plans. The school community was elated to learn that it could participate in Unified Bowling this season, even though everyone must wear masks and socially distance.

Section VI has graciously accepted Pembroke’s Unified team into its league, giving Pembroke athletes the chance to compete with schools that are geographically closer than some of its Section V counterparts.

This bodes well for some of Pembroke’s athletes who face unique transportation needs. When pandemic restrictions are finally lifted, the team will travel to its away matches at locations in Section VI. Until then, meets will continue to be held virtually.

The Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia has been a wonderful host for Pembroke Unified Bowling meets and has been very accommodating. Under normal circumstances, competitors travel to various bowling lanes in WNY to compete in person against other schools, but this season, all meets are completed virtually with each school bowling at their respective lanes and scores being reported online.

Unified Sports truly brings out the best in everyone, and Pembroke is honored to continue developing a school community rooted in inclusion, tolerance, and acceptance.

According to Principal Nathan Work, Ed.D., “Even though we all have masks on, you can still see the smiles shining through. There is not a day that goes by that one of these athletes or partners doesn’t inspire me and warm my heart; this is truly humanity at its finest.” 

There are 17 students on the team and they are coached by Alex Kaminski, Matthew Lingle, and Work. Pembroke’s next Unified Bowling meet is scheduled for Friday, March 19th at 3:30 p.m. 

The season runs from Feb. 23rd to March 25th and athletes will participate in a total of seven meets. School officials plan to add additional sports to Pembroke’s Unified Sports program as pandemic restrictions and resources allow. 

Press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) joined with colleagues to ask the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to uphold agricultural purchase commitments made by China under the Phase One trade deal. 

“American farmers and businesses have been cheated for decades by China’s malign trade practices and efforts to artificially bolster their state-run entities,” Jacobs said. “The Phase One trade deal was critical to supporting American farmers and increasing American exports.”

The Phase One trade deal, signed in January 2020, required China to purchase $200 billion worth of American products, goods, and services. In part, China agreed to purchase $12.5 billion in additional agricultural products above the 2017 trade level in 2020.

Current data shows that the Chinese government failed to meet those 2020 purchasing commitments. If needed, the Phase One trade deal has built-in mechanisms that can be used by the United States government to enforce those commitments.  

“Ensuring China adheres to purchasing agreements is critical to supporting American farmers, especially as they continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Jacobs said. “I urge the Secretary to work with the U.S. Trade Representative to review the Phase One trade deal and implement necessary enforcement measures to hold China accountable.”

Photo: Work on a new high-capacity water line along Route 77 is part of a $2 million infrastructure construction project at STAMP.

Submitted photo and press release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) today announced that with the anticipated completion of a $2 million infrastructure project this summer, water capacity will increase to more than 1 million gallons per day at the 1,250-acre Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) mega site in Genesee County.

“Every infrastructure milestone adds to the tremendous momentum behind STAMP. Our ability to deliver low-cost, 100-percent renewable power, and utility infrastructure aligned with project timelines and capacities, is driving even greater interest from site selectors and companies looking to locate in Genesee County,” said GCEDC President and CEO Steve Hyde.

Hyde noted that STAMP’s development is advancing with significant infrastructure design, engineering, and construction milestones. The mega-site is already designed and permitted for the construction of over 6 million square feet of advanced manufacturing facility space.

The water infrastructure project includes the installation of new high-capacity water lines that will connect with previously extended infrastructure on New York State Route 77 that runs along the STAMP site.

The water line project is supported by New York State, and is aligned with investments by Genesee County and the towns of Alabama and Pembroke to expand infrastructure for economic and community growth. Morsch Pipeline in Avon serves as the lead contractor on the project.

In February, Plug Power Inc. announced it plans to begin construction of North America’s largest green hydrogen production facility at STAMP. Plug Power’s $290 million proposed facility and electric substation investment further expands access to high-capacity, flexible infrastructure on parcels ranging from 30 acres to over 650 acres, Hyde said.

“Partnering with an industry leader like Plug Power is another significant asset available at STAMP to grow the renewable and advanced manufacturing sectors, which will transform our regional economy for generations,” Hyde said.

Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR), a member of the Western New York Independent Living Inc. Family of Agencies, welcomes Betesha Thompson to assist people with disabilities in the Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming County (GOW) Region as a Medicaid Application Assistance Program (MAAP) Facilitated Enroller. 

Thompson comes to ILGR after having gained experience as: a Heath Care Coordinator at East House in Rochester; a Children’s Behavior Health Service Provider at the Hillside Family of Agencies, also in Rochester; a Residential Living Specialist at Eagle Star Housing in East Pembroke; a Residential Advisor at Iroquois Job Care Center in Medina; and a Direct Support Professional at The Arc of Monroe in Rochester.

She holds a Regents Diploma from Albion High School.

Looking forward to assisting persons in need, Thompson says, "I intend to use all of my skills to make sure every individual I work with has that person-centered experience."

In this position, she will assist individuals who are over 65 years of age, legally blind, or receiving Social Security Disability in applying for Medicaid insurance by determining the type of Medicaid coverage that is best for them. She can even assist in completing the application and collecting necessary documentation to submit with the Medicaid application.

Additionally, she will conduct outreach activities to educate, engage and enroll qualified individuals who live in the GOW Region.

ILGR is delighted that Thompson is bringing her vast experience to serve the GOW region in her new capacity.

ILGR offers an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.

Although sales tax receipts continue to lag compared to last year’s figures, Genesee County Treasurer Scott German said he is optimistic that 2021 will prove to be financially robust.

“The county continues to receive less sales tax than 2020 – receipts are down about 9 percent for the first three months -- but hopefully as business continues to reopen sales tax will get stronger,” German said. “The county adopted a fiscally conservative budget for 2021 and, barring any other catastrophe, county finances should end in 2021 strong.”

German, in presenting his departmental report Wednesday to the Genesee County Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee, emphasized that the county’s decision to adopt a “conservative” budget for the 2021 fiscal year (Jan. 1-Dec. 31) will go a long way in stabilizing its economic picture as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

“Last year was very tumultuous,” he said, noting that state officials projected a 20- to 30-percent loss in sales tax and 20-percent decrease in state aid. “Remarkably, however, our sales tax revenues declined by only 2.66 percent from 2019.”

His report indicated that the county shared 16 percent or $6.5 million of the sales tax amount received with the City of Batavia, and that New York State has approved additional withholdings from the county’s share of sales tax revenues for 2021 for a distressed provider assistance fund.

German also mentioned that the county received a boost from the first federal stimulus package as its Medicaid shares resulted in a savings of $900,000.

At the end of 2020, the county had an unassigned balance of $14,644,551, a decrease of $520,514 from 2019, German reported. Meanwhile, the county’s self-insurance fund reserves went up from $743,193 at the end of 2019 to $1,493,261 at the close of 2020, with the increase attributed to a drop in medical procedures.

The county received $58,863 more in mortgage taxes in 2020 compared to 2019, he said.

Looking ahead, German said the $11.1 million allocated to the county through the American Rescue Plan will be divided into equal installments in 2021 and 2022. The utilization of these funds has yet to be determined, he added.

In a related development, Kevin Andrews, director of Real Property Tax Services, reported home sales are “trending up” and that most of the county’s towns and villages are working on reassessment projects for the 2021 assessment rolls.

Last year, RPTS supported reassessments in the towns of Bergen, Byron, Elba, Oakfield and Stafford, while similar projects in the City of Batavia and towns of Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Darien, Le Roy, Pavilion and Pembroke were canceled due to COVID-19, Andrews said.

Submitted photo and press release:

Notre Dame High School is celebrating their 70th Anniversary on May 6 with a day full of special events!

The celebration will start with re-enactment of the ground breaking followed by an anniversary mass at the school including an alumni from each decade speaking at mass. The mission club will hold a May crowing celebration at the grotto and the day will close with a “reception” celebrating 70 years.

The Advancement Committee is having a cash raffle fundraiser with a top prize of $20,000 to be drawn at the reception. More information on the 70th Anniversary Day of Celebration events will be coming in the next few weeks. Tickets for the cash raffle are on sale now.

Important in-person fundraisers, like the annual trip night event, that raise monies used for financial aid and scholarships for students are still not able to happen. The Advancement Committee is trying to come up with creative ways to still raise money and the 70th Anniversary presented an opportunity to do so.

Notre Dame Events coordinator, Kathy Antinore, says “After the success of the Ca$h for Christmas Reverse Raffle, we decided to give an even bigger cash prize correlating with our 70th Anniversary.” The school is hoping to sell 1,000 raffle tickets.

Tickets are $70 each or two for $100 for a chance to win $20,000 or one of 10 $500 cash prizes. The drawing will be held “Live” on the Notre Dame Facebook page and YouTube page on Thursday, May 6th at 6:30 p.m. during the anniversary reception. More information can be found on the school’s website and social media pages.

Interested in purchasing tickets, please contact Notre Dame at (585) 343-2783, ext. 106.

Notre Dame High School, located at 73 Union St. in Batavia, is a private co-educational Jr./Sr. high school. Recognized for the 16th consecutive year as the number one secondary school in Genesee, Wyoming, and Orleans counties by Buffalo Business First.

Notre Dame is a diverse learning community dedicated to academic excellence and rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition. For more information, please visit www.ndhsbatavia.com

Update: March 19, 4:30 p.m.

A spokesperson for Gap Inc. told The Batavian that 30 to 50 employees are expected to be hired at this location.

The Batavia store adds to the company's Western New York footprint that currently has five stores in the Buffalo/Niagara Falls area and four in the Rochester area.

"Our brand offers on-trernd, affordable and high quality products that we now are excited to make available for families in the Batavia community," the spokesperson added.

----------------

Two new stores – Old Navy and Ulta Beauty – will be coming to the Towne Center at Batavia on Veterans Memorial Drive within the next few months.

Town of Batavia Building Inspector Dan Lang confirmed at tonight’s Town Board meeting that the merchandising giants are expected to open at the retail hub this spring.

He said that the Old Navy clothing store at 4222 Veterans Memorial Drive will feature 14,588 square feet of retail space, while the Ulta Beauty cosmetics store at 4192 Veterans Memorial Drive will have 10,723 square feet of retail space.

The Old Navy store is taking space formerly used by Bed Bath and Beyond.

Searches on the companies’ websites reveal that Old Navy, part of Gap Inc., is advertising for part-time brand associates and Ulta Beauty is advertising for part-time beauty advisors at Towne Center at Batavia.

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in San Francisco, Old Navy has approximately 1,106 stores worldwide. Its total revenue in 2019 was $4 billion. The largest of the Old Navy stores are its flagship stores, located in New York City, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, Manila, and Mexico City.

In business for more than 30 years, Ulta Beauty has approximately 1,200 stores in all 50 states and, according to its website, has created more than 22,000 new jobs since 2015. Ninety-two percent of its 45,000 store, distribution center and corporate associates are women. Its headquarters are in Bolingbrook, Ill.

The Batavian has reached out via email to Old Navy and Ulta Beauty media relations for additional information.

The Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District enjoyed a record year in 2021 as it initiated and finished 13 grant-funded agricultural and other projects designed to ensure the continued flow of clean, safe water, the department’s manager said on Wednesday.

“It was extremely busy,” said Brad Mudrzynski, during his yearly report at the Genesee County Legislature’s Public Service Committee meeting at the Old County Courthouse.

He said projects included cover crop implementation, small erosion control systems and manure management-related topics.

“Another one is a manure storage cover that goes on top of the manure lagoon to capture any burn-off of methane, rather than having methane emissions, and there were a couple of different stream riparian buffers – native plantings along the side of the stream to prevent sediment nutrients from going into the stream,” Mudrzynski said.

Furthermore, he said that seven more similar endeavors will be moving forward in 2021 thanks to another $750,000 in grant funding secured by the district.

Awards from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets will be going to six applications to the Climate Resilient Farming program and one to the Agricultural Non-point Source Abatement and Control program.

“We will continue to be busy for the foreseeable few years with just those projects alone,” he said, noting that payments took longer to arrive due to COVID-19. “We didn’t get some of the (funding) hits we were bracing ourselves for.”

On the municipal side, Mudrzynski said the district’s primary function over the past year was to hydroseed for town and village highway departments to facilitate vegetative growth.

“If they clean their road ditch – opening it up – one of the things that we don’t like to see … is a bare ditch at the bottom, the brown soil,” he said. “When water goes through there, it can really cause erosion in the road ditch, which is not good from an infrastructure standpoint. And we don’t like seeing that because the water is carrying the dirt down to a receiving body of water somewhere.”

GCSWCD employees seeded and stabilized 1.2 acres of soil disturbed during the construction of the new Genesee County Sheriff’s Office communication tower in East Bethany, he said.

Mudrzynski said the district has another “pretty good sized” forested riparian buffer project, planting more than 1,000 trees along a stream bank at a local nonprofit conservation club.

He said the agency had to cancel the Genesee County Envirothon, a two-part scholastic competition, for the second straight year but hopes to offer it again starting in 2022.

“Remaining duties, including agricultural environmental management, tree and shrub program, and the fish stocking program, are continuing this year and we expect them to be strong in the coming years,” he said.

The district employs five full-time staffers.

Per its website, the mission of the GCWWCD is to work directly with county landowners to provide for the conservation of soil and water resources, improvement of water quality, and prevention of floodwater and sediment damages, thereby protecting the natural resource base and promoting health, safety, and general welfare of the county residents. For more information, click here.

Press release:

The Genesee County STOP-DWI coordinator has announced that the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Batavia Police Department and the Village of Le Roy Police Department will participate in a special enforcement effort to crackdown on impaired driving.

The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown efforts started on Tuesday March 16 and ends on Sunday, March 21.

St. Patrick’s Day weekend is a notoriously deadly period for impaired driving due to the number of celebrations and drivers on the road. New York State Police, County Sheriffs and municipal law enforcement agencies will be out in force in this across the board effort to reduce the number of alcohol related injuries and deaths.

While STOP-DWI efforts across New York have made great strides in reducing the numbers of alcohol and drug related fatalities, still too many lives are being lost because of crashes caused by drunk or impaired drivers. 

“Have a Plan” to find a safe ride because impaired driving is completely preventable – all it takes is a little planning. Visit www.stopdwi.org for more information and may the luck of the Irish be with you.

Data Update – 

• Genesee County received 12 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in the:
    • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) 
    • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. 
• Fifteen of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  
• Three of the current positive individuals are hospitalized. 

Orleans County received six new positive cases of COVID-19.  

• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
• The individuals are in their 60s, 70s and 80s.
• One of the new positives was quarantined prior to testing positive.
• Zero of the previous positive individuals has recovered and has been removed from the isolation list.
• Three of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.             

Information provided by Catrina "Cat" Lasher, Birthday Party & Special Event coordinator at GLOW YMCA:

Next Friday, March 26, is Healthy Kids Day 2021 and there will be a free drive-thru event sponsored by the Genesee County YMCA. Healthy Kids Day provides all the ingredients for developing healthy, resilient kids and to celebrate kids being kids!

It will take place behind UMMC's Jerome Center, located at 16 Bank St. in the city.

Get your picture taken with the Easter Bunny and pick up a Healthy Kids Day activity kit (one per vehicle while supplies last).

Registration for the drive-thru is required and will be capped at 100 children. Call the Y at (585) 344-1664 to register.

You can also take part in a special virtual coloring contest to win prizes! Deadline to enter is Thursday, March 25.

There is no limit of participants for the drawing/coloring contest.

We would love for you to share with us something that helps you keep an active and healthy body and mind. In other words, “DRAW A PICTURE OF WHAT HEALTHY MEANS TO YOU.” Include your name, age and phone number.

Here's a link to the coloring / drawing contest form to print out, color, scan in, or take a picture of your drawing and email it to:  clasher@glowymca.org, or drop it off at the YMCA.

The coloring / drawing contest guidelines are:

• Open to all community members ages 2-12.
• Please email pictures of submissions to Catrina Lasher at:   clasher@glowymca.org
• Or drop off submissions at the YMCA, 209 E. Main St., Batavia.
• Two winners will be selected and prize packages will be given to them.
• Submissions may be displayed on social media.

By the way, the recipe for a healthy kid, according to the YMCA, is:

1. Start with a tummy full of healthy food.
2. Stir in a cup of physical activity.
3. Add a tablespoon of laughter.
4. Mix in a pinch of curiosity.
5. Sprinkle with a dash of fun!

Rather than reorganizing his debt, Michael S. Tomaszewski, the local funeral director also facing more than 200 criminal charges, is now seeking to dismiss all of his debt.

Today U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Carl L. Bucki signed an order converting Tomaszewski's bankruptcy filing from Chapter 11, in which a judge helps debtors and creditors arrive at a repayment plan, to Chapter 7, which would allow Tomaszewski to liquidate most of his assets and have any debts not paid after liquidation discharged.

Tomaszewski, both personally, and his company Acme Holdings of New York filed for bankruptcy in Federal Court on Feb. 5. Combined, Tomaszewski lists $1,094,346 in assets against $3,242,390 in liabilities. 

That doesn't include any restitution he may be ordered to pay if convicted of the nearly 200 criminal charges he faces locally.

The 48-year-old funeral director and owner of Michael S. Tomaszewski Funeral Home and Cremation Chapel is charged with 91 counts of failure to deposit monies paid in advance in connection with agreements for funeral merchandise or services. He also charged with 61 counts of third-degree grand larceny, 29 counts of fourth-degree grand larceny, and three counts of petit larceny.

According to the Sheriff's Office arrest report from July 23, Tomaszewski received deposits from customers ranging from $350 to $15,500. His customers allegedly suffered a combined loss of more than $525,000.

The bankruptcy filing for Acme Holding remains Chapter 11, but there has been no activity on that case since February.

Yesterday, Tomaszewski was expected to formally accept a plea deal in his criminal case but for reasons unstated in court, the defendant declined to proceed and was granted a continuance of his case until April 13.

A year ago today the first case of COVID-19 was identified in Genesee County and officials at United Memorial Medical Center were already preparing for what was widely feared would be a surge of cases that could overwhelm the hospital system.

The first wave never crested locally in the way it did in New York City or Italy, but the preparation did serve the staff at UMMC well when the second wave hit in December.

It was "all hands on deck," said Dr. Peter Janes, chairman of the Department of Medicine at UMMC and director of the hospitalist group.

'All Hands On Deck'

At the height of the winter surge, when dozens of local residents were hospitalized with COVID-19, every staff member at UMMC was pressed into service. Medical providers affiliated with the hospital assisted. Residents (doctors in training) worked extra hours. Nurses from other departments cared for coronavirus patients.

"The help we got in the second wave was shocking," Janes said. "We doubled our workforce, basically. We tripled our patient population and we at least doubled our workforce. It was just incredible to see. I was just so thankful because I just didn't know.

"I saw the numbers going up -- I'm just like, 'I'm not going to go home. I'm going to be here 24 hours a day. We're going to be sleeping in the hospital.' And people just kept coming in. We got extra people that work nights. I mean, that's amazing. We were able to shift people to do 12-hour overnights.

We got nurse practitioners who were working as nurses on the floors and helping out. Everybody was doing things, even the administration. We had people from the administrative hallway, people who have a background in health care, helping."

That included Dan Ireland, UMMC's president, who started his medical career as an orderly.

"I've seen him put on his scrubs and do some work," Janes said.

Planning for Widespread Contagious Disease

Like a lot of people, early in 2020, Janes saw the news coming out of China of a new SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) strain causing hospitalizations and death but thought -- as many people did -- that new viruses come along once in a while and don't cause a pandemic.  

Even so, Janes and his colleagues at UMMC and Rochester Regional Health, began to review plans and procedures for dealing with a widespread contagious disease.

"I think initially, we were like, 'oh, here is another story,' " Janes said. "But as it sort of built up, we realized this was going to be something."

Then, during the week of March 11, the whole nation realized at once, SARV-CoV-2 was here and it was serious. The NBA, the NHL, seasons were suspended and spring training was canceled. Colleges and schools started shutting down.

"March 11th was a Wednesday, and I think right around there, that might have been the Sabers' last game, and that's when my daughter was told she's getting school canceled," Janes said. "That was the last in-person meeting I had with Rochester Regional Health, March 11th.

"I was in Rochester and I took my daughter up to Rochester to meet some friends because she was home for college. And after that, I go to pick her up, and there she tells me her college is canceled. And that's the last time I had an in-person meeting in Rochester."

UMMC staff reviewed every part of the hospital in order to plan how best to use the space if there was a surge of patients as well as reviewing personnel rosters.

"In preparing, we went through and with a clipboard and paper looking at all the possible places," Janes said. "We went through and looked at different providers and their skill sets and different nurses and their skill sets and where they could be redeployed to. Then we looked at PPE (personnel protective equipment), saying, you know, 'are we going to have enough of this stuff?'

'It Was Kind of Crazy'

"And again, it was kind of crazy at first because we got a case, we got a couple of cases. then it was a few, or five or six cases, in the first couple of weeks and we're making all these big preparations and we're like is this it? But we knew from what was going on in New York and what was going on out on the West Coast, like in Seattle, we knew it was going to affect us."

Janes said he was always worried more about staffing to deal with a large wave of patients than he was about capacity at the hospital.

"We thought, 'is this going to be wartime medicine?' " Janes said. "Is this going to be like we get people in, we have a different setup. We have wards in different areas and hallways, whatever it is. But I said we can squeeze people in here.

"But if it's as bad as they say it could be, then it's going to be just that bad in Rochester, just that bad in Buffalo. It's going to be the providers, the nurses, the staff, the cleaning crews, the people making lunches and dinners, and everybody here. I'm thinking, manpower is going to be our biggest limiting step."

Early in the pandemic, the big worry was whether there would be enough ventilators to treat the most serious COVID-19 patients. That was why there was a major push -- "two weeks to flatten the curve" -- to slow the spread, to give hospitals time to be able to handle the influx of patients, and ensure there were enough ventilators to treat serious cases.

Treatment Evolves, Scientists Learn More

We did flatten the curve but the treatment of COVID-19 also evolved as doctors and scientists learned more about the new disease.

"During the second surge, we got up there with the ventilators in the system, for sure, we got to a point where we start to get a little nervous again," Janes said. "I think a couple of different approaches, and it's hard to put your finger on exactly what it was, but I think we utilized different medications like Decadron that we started after the hydroxychloroquine didn't really pan out.

"Decadron, and then there's another medicine, Remdesivir, that that may have really cut back on the progression of the disease to the ventilator. But we also early on, there's a question whether BiPAP should work or the high flow oxygen would work. So initially, I think you may be put on a ventilator sooner but now we hold off and get people through it without a ventilator."

The second surge was "pretty darn serious," Janes said, and it came in stages. At first, most of the patients were in their 40s to 60s and primarily had low oxygen levels (hypoxic) and the new treatments were effective with these patients.

In the next stage, nursing homes in the area here getting hit hard by the disease and older people were more frequently the patients being treated at the hospital. UMMC went from seeing an average of 30 to 35 patients per day to more than 80 patients were day.

"We really need people in here. And people came in and it wasn't just the providers, it wasn't just doctors," Janes said. "There were a lot of people who came in and there were nurses working in totally in different areas, our techs acting as aides upstairs, people who you have never seen before but they're all over the place and everybody pitched in. It was pretty amazing to see."

The Pandemic Has Changed Medicine, Maybe Society, Too

The pandemic has changed medicine, Janes said, it has probably also changed society. Certainly, he said, we won't stop wearing masks in some situations anytime soon.

Face coverings, he said, have proven their efficiency at slowing the spread of infectious diseases. The big drop in flu cases this season is one piece of evidence that people wearing masks, washing hands, keeping distance helps stop the spread of viruses.

"I don't see masks going away from health care any anytime soon," Janes said. "I don't see masks going away from Wegmans or Tops anytime soon, but I worry about a little bit about complacency and lack of vaccination. I think we're getting a lot of people vaccinated, but not everybody. And so I think a third surge is very possible (in the fall or winter)."

The one message he wants to leave readers with, though, is "don't neglect your health." People, he said, should not let apprehension about SARS-CoV-2 keep them from seeing their doctors and seeking preventive and ongoing care for their medical conditions and concerns. 

"I think people were so scared of the health care system in the spring, they pushed off of their care," Janes said. "And so in the spring, what we found was that you didn't come to the hospital unless you had COVID. People with chest pain and people with infections and people with lots of uncontrolled diabetes or heart failure were staying home and sort of suffering through that.

"And I think that led to a lot of worse outcomes. I want to really encourage people to take care of their health. They can't be scared of the doctor's office. They can't be scared of making a phone call. People have to still reach out to the providers, make sure that they're in contact with their doctors, with their providers."

The Genesee County Health Department brought a COVID-19 vaccine clinic to Washington Towers today for residents who can't get to a vaccination site.  

Office for the Aging organized the clinic, Washington Towers staff registered residents online and the health department sent over the providers to administer the vaccines for up to 50 residents.

The residents received the Pfizer vaccine with a second dose schedule for early April.

The clinic set up at 400 Towers yesterday.

"We are so excited to finally be able to help our residents who don’t have internet access and/or transportation to go to an off-site location to get vaccinated," said Director Valerie Tidwell.

Press release:

On March 17th, a ceremony was held in the lobby at Batavia Downs Gaming as they donated $1,463.14 to the Batavia Police Department’s K-9 Unit.  The money was left at Batavia Downs and was turned into the police. When the money went unclaimed, Batavia Downs decided to donate that money to the Police Department’s K-9 Unit.

The money will be used to help fund the program, headed up by Officer Quider and K-9 Batu.

“We’re happy to help contribute to the K-9 Unit,” said Henry Wojtaszek, president and CEO of Batavia Downs. “It’s important for our local police department to have the resources they need to keep our community safe.”

“Public support and donations play a key role in the continuance of this worthwhile program," said Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch. “These funds will be used to offset the cost of food, veterinary services, training, equipment and other K-9-related expenses.”

Photos by Howard Owens.

Press release:

Senator Ed Rath has introduced legislation, S.5718, that would permit school districts to open to students for in-person instruction if the school can always maintain at least 3 feet between students. 

“Getting our children safely back into schools is critical," Rath said. "For the past year, children have had their daily routines completely upended. While virtual learning was necessary early in the pandemic, schools have proven that they can safely bring children back.

"I continue to hear from parents who share their concerns about their children falling behind academically and greatly missing the social aspect of in-person learning. Now that teachers have been prioritized for vaccination, allowing the three feet of social distancing would be another tool in helping get children back in the classroom.

“While some counties and school districts have made spacing adjustments on their own, a unified approach is necessary.  Additionally, it has been seen in other areas of the United States that bringing back students does not contribute to significant community spread.

"I have also met with the New York State American Academy of Pediatrics, who shared their support of this measure. I am hopeful that this bill will help get our children back into the classroom and allow schools to focus on educating our children."

The bill, S.5718, was introduced on March 16th and was referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security, and Military Affairs for consideration.

LE ROY – The Le Roy Farmers’ Market has been special to Scott and Mary Margaret Ripley for more than a decade.

But now, due to circumstances beyond their control, the market may be shut down, unless others step up to help the Ripleys run it.

The Le Roy Market was started 15 years ago by a handful of friends who belonged to a book club. After reading a book titled "Vegetable, Animal, Miracle" by Sandy Kingsolver, the friends Sandy Brady, Pat Fussell, Lynn Soloman, Linda Ruck and Donna Call decided to start a farmers’ market.

The market had a board of directors and was subsequently run by a second and third generation of individuals, until the third generation couldn’t do it anymore and was forced to give it up. 

Then the board was disbanded and all the members left, Mary Margaret said. 

“There was just me and Scott left,” she said. “We took over for the vendors and we’ve run it for five seasons. We knew they needed it and the community wanted it.”

The Ripleys had attended the market for eight years as a vendor with goods from their bakery.

Heart Attack Changes Everything

Then, a week ago, Scott had a serious heart attack. Fortunately, he is recovering and was released from the hospital on Friday, but Mary Margaret fears running the market will now be too much stress for both of them, and she is seeking help.

In addition to running the market, Scott is announcer for Le Roy Little League and is involved as a board member for the Le Roy Historical Society. Mary Margaret said it was undoubtedly stress, which caused his heart attack, and he has to slow down.

The Ripleys would like to re-establish a board in an effort to assure the market keeps going.

“We are asking people to volunteer to become members of the market’s new board,” Mary Margaret said. 

They feel one person is needed to handle each of these different tasks:

• Posting / updating social media;
• Serving as liaison to the village and work with vendor development;
• Booking weekly entertainment;
• Booking the community booth weekly;
• Handling New York State Nutrition requirements;
• Organizing weekly volunteers.

Market -- 'One of the Most Successful in the Area'

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the market had weekly entertainment. Mary Margaret said the Le Roy Market is one of the most successful in the area.

“People come from all over to our market,” she said. “Last year we had people from the cities who came here because our market was smaller and they were looking for a smaller crowd during the pandemic. Vendors also tell us they do better at our market than in others in the county.”

Mary Margaret said in addition to being of value to the vendors, the Le Roy Farmer’s Market attracts up to 400 people weekly. 

“It’s wonderful to see the community members come out,” Mary Margaret said. “These vendors are our friends and we want to see them be successful. We love the market, we love the vendors and we love our community.

"But we cannot continue to give up 15 weeks of our lives each summer without help. As we have experienced this week, life is very precious.”

The Le Roy Farmers' Market meets at Trigon Park from June 17 to Oct. 2 and is open from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each Saturday. 

Anyone who would like to volunteer to help with the market can email the Ripleys at:  marymargaretripley@yahoo.com, or text or call Mary Margaret at (585) 297-2441.

Photo from the Le Roy Farmers' Market Facebook page.

The loss of Carl Yunker is one which will be felt in many arenas – by his family, his friends, agriculture, his church, the community, and aviation.

Yunker, 97, died at his home near Elba on March 13, after being in failing health.

Born at the family farmhouse in Sheldon, Yunker was raised by his mother and two older brothers. He learned the meaning of hard work at an early age, helping to run the farm with his mother and brothers and a pair of horses.

He attended a one-room schoolhouse until sixth grade, then went to high school in East Aurora, where his ag teacher convinced him to go to college.

He entered Cornell University in 1940 and worked his way through college by working at the Curtiss-Wright plant in Buffalo, building P-47s. He received awards for marksmanship as a member of ROTC. He joined the Alpha Zeta, the agricultural honor fraternity, where he met classmates in the field of agriculture who would become lifelong friends. 

Pete Lockner, flight instructor at Genesee County Airport, told of Yunker’s love of aviation. Lockner said Yunker told him he would get up early in the morning and milk the cows, then go to Buffalo to build airplanes, and come home in the afternoon to milk the cows again.

Yunker had wanted to learn to fly at a young age and enrolled in classes at GCC in 1969-70, but his wife, Bernice, was so afraid of airplanes he didn’t pursue it any further. At the age of 70, however, with her approval, he approached Lockner in June 1993 and said he wanted to learn to fly. He got his pilot’s license in December 1993, and started building his own airplane – a Kitfox, in January 1994.

Bernice was at his side, documenting every step of the procedure as he went along. He built his own airstrip on a piece of land on North Byron Road. He became a member of the Vintage Aircraft Group at Pine Hill Airport, where he spent several years helping to restore three PT-19s.

Myra and the late Wayne Phelps, of Indian Falls, were lifelong friends of the Yunkers, along with three other couples who got together every month for years.

Myra was dating Carl while he was at Cornell and once took a train with another girlfriend to visit him. The other couples were Myra’s brother Richard Rudolph and his wife, Jean, the late Henry and Norma Calver, and Fred and Gloria Pletzker.

Carl met Bernice through their churches in Bennington and Sheldon, where Bernice’s father was pastor of both congregations. 

Myra said Carl was one of the most faithful and sincere persons she ever met.

Carl and Bernice were married Dec. 7, 1947, and their honeymoon to Key West was one of many trips they would take together throughout their lives. In 1951, with two young children, one tractor and a handful of cows they moved to the Merriman Farm on Transit Road, where they lived for the last 70 years.

Founder of CY Farms, Carl was known for his progressive farming and was active in both farm and community affairs. He was past president of Genesee County Farm Bureau, treasurer of Upstate Milk Cooperative and was named the “Outstanding Young Farmer of New York State” by the Jaycees.

A lifelong Republican, Carl was friends with the late NY Congressman Barber Benjamin Conable Jr. and helped him win his first election.

Along with Bernice, Carl was active in the campaign to establish Genesee Community College and he served on the board of Genesee Valley BOCES.

The Elba Presbyterian Church was an important part of Carl’s life, where he served on the session for 18 years of their 70-year membership.

The Yunkers had five children, including the youngest, Heidi Yunker Dorpfeld, of Medina/Middleport, who shared memories of her dad.

“My dad embraced me with absolute, unconditional love,” Dorpfeld said. “Even when I failed, he believed it was just another opportunity to grow. He supported me and my siblings in any endeavors we decided to pursue, which game me the drive to thrive.

"I watched him embrace life with positivity and perseverance. My dad reflected the love of God by intentionally looking for good in every person he encountered, believing man is created in God’s own image. I’m thankful to have been a part of his life and the legacy he is leaving us.”

Surviving with Dorpfeld are Carl’s wife, Bernice, who is receiving nursing care at home; children Gail (Bruce) Bartlett, of Baja California Sur, Mexico; Craig (Kimberly) Yunker, of Elba; Cyrus Yunker, of Virginia: Joy (Mark) Mistur, of Ohio; 16 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

There are no calling hours. Private graveside services will be held at the convenience of the family in Springvale Cemetery, Elba.

A public memorial service will take place in the summer at Elba Presbyterian Church. Memorials may be made to Elba Presbyterian Church, 23 N. Main St., Elba; HomeCare and Hospice of Genesee County; or the Yunker Family Fund for Excellence at Cornell University, #0002768, Ithaca, NY 14850. 

Arrangements were completed by H.E. Turner and Co. Funeral Home. 

For Carl Yunker's obituary, click here.

Previously: CY Farms grew from the good land

File photo of Bernice and Carl Yunker from 2013.